Hand bag



S. H. 'LEVY,.; HAND BAG. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I2, 1919.

1,432,877, Patenm m'.}24, 1922.

. I I Ewe/2%: lkififiaeafiled A Q@W /Zm% 5mm a or similar materitil Patented Oct. 24 1922.

SIMON H. LEVY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HAND BAG.

Application filed September 12, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIMON H. LEVY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gill: cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand Bags, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hand luggage, and particularly to traveling bags and the like.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a hand ba having a frame of metal to which the handle is attached so that all lifting and other strains maybe removed from the leather or covering material of the bag and transferred to the frame.

Another object is to provide a. traveling bag or the like especially of the grip type having a side opening so that when the closure for the opening is open the whole interior may be available even though the interior be divided into a plurality of compartments.

A further object is to provide a grip having increased packing space without increasing the size of the grip.

A still further object is the improvement of hand bags for successful commercial use.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the preferred embodiment of my invention, the

framework ofmy invention being shown in this figure;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the arrangement of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a grip embodying my invention in finished form; r

and,

Fig. 4; is a perspective view of a grip embodying my invention and showing the preferred arrangement of the interior compartments.

In hand bags or the like now in use, the

bags are made. of leather or other cover material shaped to provide the style desired. The handles for these bags are attached in most instances to the leather or cover material so that all of the lifting and other strains are transferred from the handle to the cover material of the bag and in many instances resulting in damage, if not destruction of the bag. Other objections are that ,in the present type of bag crushing strains are often imparted ofsuch nature as to destroy or partly damage the bag.

Serial No. 323,270.

My invention contemplates the overcoming of all of these obj ections by the provision of a frame preferably of metal which will take all of the lifting and other strains and to which is attached the handle, the leather or other covering material being suitably and which bag has a side opening.

In the type of hand bags commonly known as grips, the usual practice is to provide the opening at the top for access to the interior. This arrangement makes necessary the removal of whatever articles of clothing there are therein in order to get the desired article. Furthermore, by reason of the top opening of the bag a considerable amount of space is wasted, as it is necessary of course to provide a certain amount of clearance for the parts forming the cover or opening to move into open or closed position. The amount of space wasted in the present type of grip amounts to approximately one-third of the capacity of the interior.

My invention overcomes the above-recited and other ob ect1ons by providing a hand bag as before stated, with a frame of metal ,to which the handle is attached and on which the leather or other covering material is secured and overcomlng ob ect1ons to the top-opening type ofgrip by providing a grip having a side opening of such nature and extent that when the closure is open,

.frame embodying my invention includes two end pieces or members having edge pieces 5 which in the form shown are bent .into the shape of an inverted U, with the outer edges bent over forming the flanges 6 y a u 7 the pieces 5 then being angles 1n section.

-The lower-or free ends of the pieces 5 are bent, forming feet 7, which serve as means for supporting the end frames in upright positlon. and for carrying the bottom of the bag, and also as means for attaching the knobs 8 or the like which are usually placed on the bottom of hand luggage. At suitable intervals in the end members there are provided cross pieces 9 and 10 suitably fastened to the edge pieces 5 by soldering, welding or riveting. ll is an upright brace as shown in the drawings extending upwardly from the lower cross brace 9 to the upper portion oil the edge piece :5, this being fastened to the braces 9 and 10 and the edge piece 3 in any suitable manner. While I have shown but three braces yet it is understood that my invention contemplates the use of as many or as few braces as the construction oi the particular bag warrants. WVhen the end members have been properly strengthened two oi? these are joined togetheras shown in Figure l by longitudinal bars members 12, as many of these being used as required to provide suliicient strength. in the drawings but three of these are shown: one in front, one in back and one at the top oi the end n'iembers these being indicated by the reference characters 12, 12* and 12".

in the iiori'n herein disclosed I have arranged the interior of the to provide three horizontal compartments. These include the bottommost one indicated by the letter A, the intermediate one B and the upper one C. in the torm shown I have arranged the compartment it a drawer 'n' 'hlcli'may be pulled out at will, thus permitting access to the lower compartment A. The drawer B is suitably supported on slides l3 .tastened to the lower cross braces 9, while the upper compartment C has for its bottom a board or similar member 14 supported on slides or lugs 15 fastened to the upper cross brace members 10.

Access to the grip is through a side opening therein. In the form shown this entends "from the top downwardly to a short distance above the bottom of the bag. With a side opening bag it is possible to pack the same with the clothes flat and carry them flat and permitting removal of the desired article without having to disturb the entire contents of the bag as is now necessary.

As a closure for the side opening of the grip, I provide two hinged portions 16 and 17, these being fastened together at '18 and shaped to conform to the contour of the side of the grip. One edge of the portion 16 is hinged at 19 to the upper longitudinal brace member 12" and the free end of the other member 1'? is adapted to extend below and overlap the top edge 20 of the front 21 of the body portion of the grip. A suitable lock 22 may be attached so as to fasten the closure to the bag in the usual manner. By arranging a side opening with a hinged closure therefor, as contemplated herein, it will be observed that the member 17 may be swung back on the hinges 18, thus giving access to the compartment B, and when it is removed, to the compartment 0, without interfering with compartment A. On the other hand, by moving the closure member back on the hinges 19 access to all the compartments may be had. The closure might be hinged to the brace 12 as well as to the brace 12 in which event itwould swing downwardly to open, and the lock 22 would cooperate with the top of the bag along the brace 12 Suitably secured to the frame members oi my invention in any desirable manner is the cover material, which maybe of leather, or" fine or medium grade, canvas or other cover material as desired. Preferably this material is applied in such manner as to form gussets 23, thus giving the usual appearance to a grip of this sort. After the. cover material has been suitably applied a reinforcing member 24;, which preferably is channel-shaped and which has downwardly extending arms 25, is applied as shown 1n Figure 3, the portions 25 overlying the covermaterial over the upright frame members 11. This member is then secured through the upright frame members 11 and through the upper longitudinal bar 12* by rivets or other suitable fastening means. Thereupon the handle 26 is attached by rivets 2'? or the like through the reinforcing member 24 and the upper longitudinal bar 12", so thatall of the weight of thebag is transferred to the handle 26 through the frame members 12, 11 and by them to other portions of the :lil'ame and not through the covering material of the bag.

It will be observed that by my invention I have provided a hand bag having means other than the cover material for providingthe necessary strength and rigidity to the bag. I have provided means forresisting the usual blows to which a bag is subjected and thus prolonging considerably the life or hand luggage. By reason of my invention the bag is not distorted or misshaped due to heavy loads which it may contain or to being roughly treated as baggage usually is, and sagging is prevented as the bag is supported throughout its length by the members 12, 12 and 12*. Furthermore, by arranging the interior in a series of horizontally disposed compartments, packing is facilitated and wrinkling prevented to a great extent, as the clothes ismain in the same position as when packed. For instance, I may pack in the arrangement shown in Fig. i, a suit of clothes in the lower compartment A, shirts, underwear and the like in drawer B, neckwear,

would necessarily be strengthened to serve the purpose desired.

While I have described more or lessprecisely the details of construction of my invention, yet I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form and the proportion of parts and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A grip or the like comprising a metal skeleton frame and a cover of leather, canvas or the like, said frame including two end members, longitudinal members connecting said members to define an article of the ultimate shape desired, the ends being provided with means for supporting the bottom and for securing the cover material thereto, a reinforcing member adapted to extend across the top of said grip downwardly over the ends thereof and adapted to be secured to said ends, a handle fastened to said reinforcing member whereby the lifting load is transferred directly to the frame of the grip, and a closure for said grip including a plurality of members hinged together along a longitudinal edge thereof, or with one of said members hinged to one end of the longitudinal edges of the frame, and means for fastening said closure in closed position.

2. A traveling bag or the like, comprisinga metal skeleton frame shaped to provide a bag of the ultimate form desired, the end portions of the frame being substantially U-shaped and inverted as to position, the ends of the leg members being inturned, a bottom for said bag supported on said inturned portions of the end frame members, brace members connecting portions of each end member and also connecting the end members, said framework being arranged to provide an opening in the side of the bag, a skeleton frame for said'side opening in cluding metal framework hinged to the frame adjacent an edge of said opening, covering material secured to said framework, a reinforcing member overlying said cover material and secured to said end frame members, and a handle secured to said reinforcing member and also to the framework, said securing means passing through the cover material.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 2nd day of September, 1919.

' SIMON H. LEVY. 

